Former U.S. President Barack Obama has been on an extended international trip this past week, visiting Singapore, New Zealand, and Japan.

Obama, 56, arrived in Singapore on March 19—his first trip to the country since leaving office in January 2017. While local newspaper theStraits Timesreported that he was there to speak at a private event for the Bank of Singapore, the former president tweeted on his first day in the country that he was "in Singapore with young people who are advocating for education, empowering young women, and getting involved all over Southeast Asia with a profoundly optimistic commitment to building the world they want to see."

In Singapore with young people who are advocating for education, empowering young women, and getting involved all over Southeast Asia with a profoundly optimistic commitment to building the world they want to see. https://t.co/so4Uqouu8M

HERE'S WHAT ELSE BARACK OBAMA HAS BEEN UP TO SINCE LEAVING OFFICE:

In early March, it was reported that the former president and former First Lady Michelle Obama were in discussions with Netflix about producing a series of shows for the streaming service, according to a new report.

The shows would "highlight inspirational stories," theNew York Timesreported Thursday, rather than "directly respond to President Trump or conservative critics."

"President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire," Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to the former president, told theTimes. "Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories."

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Barack and Michelle Obama smile during the unveiling of their unofficial portraits at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery on February 12.

One potential show idea involves Barack Obama moderating "conversations on topics that dominated his presidency—health care, voting rights, immigration, foreign policy, climate change." Another show option features the former first lady discussing topics that she championed while in the White House, like nutrition. How much the couple could be paid for the deal, and whether it could come close to their$65-million book deal, is unclear.

Yesterday's developments are the second time this year Barack Obama has made news with Netflix. Back in January, he appeared in the first episode of David Letterman's Netflix series,My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. In the episode, the former president told the host he was almost no help at all moving his eldest daughter, Malia, into her dorm room last year when shebegan her freshman year at Harvard. He was simply too emotional.

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"I was basically useless," Obama said. "Everyone had seen me crying and misting up for basically the previous three weeks, so Malia, who's very thoughtful, she goes, 'Dad, you know, I've got this lamp in this box, could you put the desk lamp together?' I said, 'Sure.' It should have taken five minutes or three minutes, and it had one of those little tools. It only had, like, four parts, and I'm just sitting there, toiling at this thing for half an hour."

The rest of the interview covered everything from the vacation Obama took following his departure from the White House to how he keeps his "dad moves" under control while dancing (more on that in the clip above).

After two terms as president, Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama settled into a home in Washington D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood and set about establishing new routines and post-White House identities. Here's what he did in 2017:

DECEMBER

On December 15, the former first couple joined Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, and actress Meryl Streep and her husband, Don Gummer, fordinner at Fiola Mare, according to theWashington Post. Streep and Spielberg were in the nation's capital to promote their new Pentagon Papers film,The Post.

On December 27, Barack Obama joined Prince Harry for a BBC radio interview that was taped at recorded at the 2017Invictus Games in Canada. (The audio is below.)

"I still care about making sure that the United States and the world is a place where kids get a decent education. Where people who are willing to work hard are able to find a job that pays a living wage. That we’re conserving the amazing resources of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the beauty of this place. Like we did."

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When Prince Harry was asked whether the former president would get an invitation to his upcoming nuptials, he demurred.

NOVEMBER

On November 8, the former president returned to his hometown of Chicago not to make a major speech or launch a high-profile initiative but because he had jury duty.

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As you can see in this video posted by Twitter user Angel Martinez, Obama went business casual in a white shirt and sports coat, and shook hands and cracked jokes with his fellow Chicagoans, while a Secret Service and security team stood guard.

Cook County is apparently the same place where Oprah Winfrey and Mr. T do their public duty, so world famous jurors are par for the course, but Obama is the highest-ranking former public official to be called for jury duty in Chicago history. Like other former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, President Obama was not actually selected for a jury.

According toCBS Chicago, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced he had been dismissed for the day; he had been picked for a panel that wasn't needed on Wednesday, and his entire panel got to go home that afternoon.

OCTOBER

On October 10th, the Obamas issued a statement onHarvey Weinstein's sexual harassment and assault reports. The former president and first lady said they are "disgusted" by the allegations and believe that "we should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories."

Here is their full statement:

"Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein. Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status. We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories. And we all need to build a culture — including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect — so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future."

In the first week of October, Obama also issued another statement, this time in response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern American history. The former president posted a tweet expressing his condolences to the victims and families.

Michelle & I are praying for the victims in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with their families & everyone enduring another senseless tragedy.

SEPTEMBER

Obamabroke his silence about President Trump's decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy with a post on social media early in the month.

"To target these young people is wrong—because they have done nothing wrong,” Obama wrote on Facebook on September 5. “It is self-defeating—because they want to start new businesses, staff our labs, serve in our military, and otherwise contribute to the country we love. And it is cruel.”

See the full statement below:

Immigration can be a controversial topic. We all want safe, secure borders and a dynamic economy, and people of goodwill...

On September 20, the former presidentdelivered the keynote address at an event hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in New York City.

Here's a video of the full speech and question-and-answer session:

"The world has never been healthier, or wealthier, or better educated or in many ways more tolerant or less violent," Obama told the audience at Lincoln Center. And despite calling the efforts to repeal his health care law "frustrating," he said Americans should be optimistic about the future: "Not blind optimism, but hard-earned optimism, rooted in very real progress."

Barack Obama joins Melinda and Bill Gates at an event for their foundation in New York City on September 20.

An Obama spokesman told theTimesthat the speaking fees have helped to allow the former president to contribute $2 million to job programs for low-income young people in Chicago (more on that later): "Since leaving office, President Obama has spent his time doing public and private events, both paid and unpaid, that are true to his values and his record,” Kevin Lewis, wrote in an email to the Times.

The same day, September 25, Obama surprised 600 attendees this week when hejoined his vice president at a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children in Wilmington, Delaware. "I am here just to lend my voice and my support to a family that I care deeply about, to honor a man that I thought the world of, and to say thank you to all of you for supporting this wonderful cause," he said.

Obama ended by thanking the Biden Foundation,which raised $400,000 at the event, for its work in protecting and advocating for children, and mentioned again how important family was to him. "At the end of our lives, whatever else we accomplish, the thing that we'll remember are the joys with our children and hopefully, way later, our grandchildren."

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Later in the same week, Obamaaccompanied fellow ex-presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at the kick-off of the Presidents Cupgolf tournament at the Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

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Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton at the Presidents Cup on September 28.

First held in 1994, the Presidents Cup is a biennial PGA Tour event that pairs an American team against an international team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Each of the three former presidents served as honorary chairmen of the tournament while they were in office, and on Thursday they sat overlooking the first tee box at the Jersey City course.

Jordan Spieth, whowon the Masters in 2015, told ABC News that he and the other players "should feel lucky" for getting "three presidents in one place." Spieth, who's played with Bush, said all three are "avid golfers and have done a lot for the game of golf, too."

He jetted north to Toronto on September 29 toreunite with his vice president, Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games.

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Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Barack Obama, and Prince Harry cheer on basketball players at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

AUGUST

Barack and Michelle Obama were spotted on Harvard University's campus on August 23, moving their oldest child, Malia, into her dorm room. The former first daughter is a freshman at the college this fall.

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JUNE

The former president went to Bali where he and his wife and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, are in the middle of what looks like an epic family vacation.

The Obamas went rafting together down the Ayung River over the weekend, and on Thursday Sasha, Malia, and their mother visited the Tirtha Empul temple wearing matching yellow sarongs. Visitors are reportedlyexpected to wear the cover-upsbefore entering a Balinese temple, and the Obamas' Secret Service agent sported one too.

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Sasha and Malia Obama

The former first family stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, according to theDaily Mail. The property includes 18 suites, 42 private villas, and about 1,000 different species of birds.

Prior to their river adventures, the familytouredtheJatiluwih rice terraces, which have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site,Travel + Leisurereports.

Barack Obama has a deep connection to Indonesia; he lived there as a child starting in 1967 when he and his mother moved to the country's capital, Jakarta. Obama moved back to Obama's birthplace of Honolulu in 1971.

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Barack Obama and his entourage visit the Jatiluwih tourist site in Bali on June 25.

Before his Balinese sojourn, the former president appeared in a recorded video honoring Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) at a ceremony inducting him into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 15.

After recognizing the other inductees, Obama called Carter "a friend of mine" and continued, "I'd like to think Mr. Carter and I understand each other. Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today."

He also talked about how much he and Carter love their daughters andhinted at the sex of the twinsCarter and his wife, Beyoncé, are expecting: "Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he’s going to have me beat once those two twins show up."

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The former president also referenced his love of Carter's music: "I'm pretty sure I'm still the only president to listen to Jay-Z's music in the Oval Office," he said. "That may change at some point but I'm pretty sure that's true now."

Before that, Obama's most recent public appearance was his first post-presidency trip to Canada, where he gave a speech to acrowd of nearly 6,000 peopleat the Montreal Chamber of Commerce on June 6.

Immediately after his speech, Obama was spotted having dinner with his old pal, CanadianPrime Minister Justin Trudeau, as the Obama Foundation confirmed on Twitter:

MAY

The former president kicked off the month in Chicago on May 3, where he unveiled plans for his ownfuture presidential centerthere. He painted a picture of a buzzing hub for youth and community programs on the city's South Side where he raised his family and launched his political career.

Obama fielded questions from residents at a forum near the site, delving into nitty-gritty details of traffic patterns, green space, and job creation, while avoiding any mention of his successor in the White House.

"What we want this to be is the world premiere institution for training young people and leadership to make a difference in their communities, in their countries and in the world," he told the friendly crowd that included Mayor Rahm Emanuel, his one-time chief of staff.

The plans revealed that the Obama Presidential Center will feature three structures, including a tower-like museum and tree-lined walkways. The Obama Foundation displayed drawings and a miniature model of the center, which will also include a public plaza and classrooms.

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Obama said construction of the center—up to 225,000 square feet overall—would take about four years, but programming would begin this year. He said he and former first lady Michelle Obama, who also attended, would personally donate $2 million to summer job efforts in the city. He said Chicago has a lot to offer, but most people outside the city only see headlines about the violence.

"We don't want to wait for a building," he said. "This is about reaching out right now."

On May 7, Obama received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, a prizegiven to elected officials"who govern for the greater good, even when it is not in their own interest to do so." Specifically, he was honored for his passing of the Affordable Care Act, which secured health coverage for millions of Americans.

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Obama receives the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award

"It is my fervent hope … that today's members of Congress are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth, even when it bucks party dogmas," Obama said. "I hope that current members of Congress recognize it takes little courage to aid those who are already powerful, already comfortable, already influential, but it takes great courage to champion the vulnerable and the sick and the infirm."

The former commander-in-chief also logged quite a few frequent flyer miles in May. He traveled to Milan, where he delivered a speech at a food innovation conference on May 9 and said he is "confident that the United States will continue to move in the right direction" on climate change.

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Obama speaks at the Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit

"The good news is, in part because of what we did over the last eight years, the private sector has already made a determination that the future is in clean energy. Investments are moving into clean energy," Obama said at the Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit during his foreign political appearance since leaving office in January.

Before heading to the event, he went to see Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper."

"Even in our religion and in our art, food is important," Italy's culture minister, who accompanied the former president, said.

In addition to his cultural appreciation, Obama's style made headlines. He was spotted in Italy wearing a tailored suit, a button-down shirt sans-tie, and a pair of black shades.

IMAGE FOTOGRAMMA / SPLASH NEWS

Obama in Italy

The trip came on the heels of a MayPeoplecover story in which the former president's chief of staff Anita Decker Breckenridge revealed a few insights into what his life is like today. First, while the bubble surrounding him has shrunk significantly (when he travels, for instance, it's in a much smaller motorcade without a press pool in tow), Obama still can't drive himself because of security concerns.

"If he wants to go out to dinner on a Saturday, that doesn’t take teams of people and hours of advance," Breckenridge told the magazine. "You know? That’s really freeing."

Obama

The former president and first lady traveled throughout Tuscany. The couple reportedlyflew into a military basein the Italian region on May 19 escorted by six fighter jets. They were expected to stay for six days.

Barack hit the golf course at the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco over the weekend of May 20 to 21.

During their six-day vacation, the two reportedly stayed at Borgo Finocchieto, a villa that was renovated by John Phillips, the U.S. ambassador to Italy during Obama's administration. The villa is an "800-year-old village unto itself, with 22 bedrooms, a formal dining room, a ballroom, a library, a professional teaching kitchen, and a wine tasting cellar," Travel + Leisure reports.

Barack Obama in Italy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Barack Obama at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

After Germany, he headed to Scotland, where he played golf at the prestigious Old Course at St Andrew's in Scotland, and from the looks of the photos he had an absolute ball.

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Barack Obama on the old course at St. Andrews.

Obama told Scottish reporters that he shot "in the 80s" and was offered a bottle of Irn Bru, a carbonated soft drink known as "Scotland's other national drink" (following Scotch whiskey).

He made his way to London the next day, May 27, and met with Prince Harry at Kensington Palace.

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Prince Harry and Barack Obama at Kensington Palace

"They discussed a range of shared interests including support for veterans, mental health, conservation, empowering young people and the work of their respective foundations," Kensington Palace said in a statement. CNN reports that they also "talked about the terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England." Obama offered his "condolences to the victims and support for those recovering from injuries."

APRIL

Obama began the month still in French Polynesia, where Michelle joined him on April 8, according to reports. The following day, Tahitian television station published photographs ofMichelle paddleboardingandBarack swimming.

On April 18, Radio New Zealandreported that the Obamas had leftthe region, and the former commander-in-chief made his first public speech post-presidency (read the full transcript here) on April 24. During the speech toyoung leadersat the University of Chicago, the former president focused on both his time as a community organizer in Chicago as well as his optimism for the future of American democracy.

"We have some of the lowest voting rates of any democracy and low participation rates than translate into a further gap between who are governing us and what we believe," Obama said.

"The only folks who are going to be able to solve that problem are going to be young people, the next generation. And I have been encouraged everywhere I go in the United States, but also everywhere around the world to see how sharp and astute and tolerant and thoughtful and entrepreneurial our young people are."

He also shared that breaking down the barriers that inhibit young people from getting involved is one of his goals for life out of the Oval Office.

"The question then becomes what are the ways in which we can create pathways for them to take leadership, for them to get involved? Are there ways in which we can knock down some of the barriers that are discouraging young people about a life of service?" Obama asked.

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"And if there are, I want to work with them to knock down those barriers, and to get this next generation and to accelerate their move towards leadership. Because if that happens, I think we're going to be just fine. And I end up being incredibly optimistic."

That same day, Fox Business reported thatObama will receive $400,000 for a speechhe plans to deliver at a healthcare conference organized by the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald in September.

Obama listens as participants speak during a forum at the University of Chicago held to promote community organizing on April 24.

The news of Obama's fee has drawn criticism fromliberalsandconservatives, and critics have pointed out how often the former president criticized big banks and the growing wealth inequality. "I believe this is the defining challenge of our time: making sure our economy works for every working American," Obamasaid in a speechin December 2013.

MARCH

The former president had a month-long, star-studded trip toFrench Polynesiaduring which he hung out with the likes of Oprah, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, and his wife.

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He touched down in Tahiti on March 15 and reportedly checked into the Brando, a resort on the private French Polynesian atoll, Tetiaroa, which was once owned by Marlon Brando. It was a summer residence for Tahitian royalty before the late actor purchased it in 1967 after first visiting to film Mutiny on the Bounty.

FEBRUARY

Obama began the month with a memorable vacation arranged by his billionaire buddy Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands. Helearned to kitesurfwith Branson hung out with Michelle.

Later in the month, he made a trip to Manhattan, where hespent a night diningwith his eldest daughter Malia atEmilio's Ballato, an old-school red-sauce joint in the Nolita district that's popular with musicians and other celebrities.

Malia is currently on a gap year before she starts college at Harvard in the fall, and her recent activities include a glitzytrip to Aspenand an ongoing internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The ex-president really made a splash around midday on February 24, as he left a building in the Flatiron district holding a Starbucks cup. (Click play on the videos below to see that moment.)

A reported crowd of about 200 gathered on the block to witness Obama's exit from what TMZ reports is a building that houses Simons Foundation run by James Simons and his wife, Marilyn, who "are big-time philanthropists who reportedly donated around $700,000 earmarked" for Obama Presidential Library in Chicago.

A team of Secret Service agents stood guard as Casual Friday Obama (he forwent a tie) made his way to a waiting SUV and drove away, presumably bound for Gramercy Tavern, where the former president stopped for lunch and posed with the staff for a photo. (The restaurant's executive chef and his partner, Michael Anthony, posted the picture on Instagram with a #proud hashtag.)

On February 28, Penguin Random House announced that it hadsecured a record-setting $65 million dealwith former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama for their upcoming books. The publisher also announced it would donate one million books to charitable organizations in the Obama family's name, and the Obamas plan to donate a portion of their earnings from book sales to charity.

The same day, former Attorney General Eric Holder toldPoliticohe'd been talking to the former president about getting involved with the new National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which aims to help the Democratic Party win back state legislative seats beginning with next year's elections. Obama asked Holder to chair the committee last year, and last month he said the former president "will be a more visible part of the effort."